Letter to Samuel Ibn Tibbon

In accordance with his intelligence is a man praised (Proverbs 12:8). I received all the correspondence of the esteemed, learned, and perceptive student who is the crown of disciples, the glory of the learned, the revered Rabbi Samuel, son of the wise Rabbi Judah Ibn Tibbon, the Spaniard, of blessed memory. The reputation of your esteemed and learned father, Rabbi Judah, was established for a long time. We were informed of his prodigious knowledge and the lucidity of his language in Arabic and Hebrew from some of the well-known scholars of Granada, descendants of Al-Fakhas, among whom was the sage Ibn Moska. Also, a revered and respected scholar of Tudela came here and told us about your father, of sainted memory. We had similar reports from the revered scholar Rabbi Meir, a student of Rabbi Abraham Ibn Daud, of blessed memory, spiritual head of Posquières as well as of Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra. He informed us also about several grammar and science textbooks he had translated.

I did not know, however, that he left a son. When your Arabic and Hebrew letters reached me, they gave me an insight into your wide range of interest and beauty of style. When I noted further your doubts concerning some of the passages in my major exposition, The Guide for the Perplexed and the errors of the scribe you perceived therein, I repeated the words of the ancient poet: “if only they knew his ancestry, they would say the merit of the father is passed on to the son.” [ . . . ]

Verily, when I saw your correspondence and perceived the beauty of your diction and probed into the depth of your conceptions and the wisdom of your speech so clearly enunciated, I was exceedingly delighted but at the same time amazed at the existence of such a wise son. I was furthermore astonished and wondered: how it was possible for one born among the “stammerers” to develop thus, to pursue the sciences and display such proficiency in the Arabic language—which is after all only a corrupt Hebrew? Then again, how is it possible to master the detailed grammar of the language and use it skillfully in such profound subjects? This surely cannot “be as a root out of a dry land!” May the Blessed Almighty cause you to be illuminated by the radiance of His Torah until you will become like “those that love Him and as the rising of the sun in its might.” Amen. May this be God’s will! [ . . . ]

I shall explain to you everything presently, after I shall premise one rule: the translator who proposes to render each word literally and adhere slavishly to the order of the words and sentences in the original, will meet much difficulty and the result will be doubtful and corrupt. This is not the right method. The translator should first try to grasp the sense of the subject thoroughly, and then state the theme with perfect clarity in the other language. This, however, cannot be done without changing the order of words, putting many words for one word, or vice versa, and adding or taking away words, so that the subject be perfectly intelligible in the language into which he translates. [ . . . ]

Now God knows that in order to write this to you I have escaped to a secluded spot, where people would not think to find me, sometimes leaning for support against the wall, sometimes lying down on account of my excessive weakness, for I have grown old and feeble.

But with respect to your wish to come here to me, I cannot but say how greatly your visit would delight me, for I truly long to converse with you, and would anticipate our meeting with even greater joy than you. Yet I must advise you not to expose yourself to the perils of the voyage, for beyond seeing me, and my doing all I could to honor you, you would not derive any advantage from your visit. Do not expect to be able to confer with me on any scientific subject for even one hour either by day or by night, for the following is my daily occupation:—

I reside at Misr [Fostat] and the Sultan resides at Kahira [Cairo]; these two places are two Sabbaths days’ journey [about one mile and a half] distant from each other. My duties to the Sultan are very heavy. I am obliged to visit him every day, early in the morning; and when he or any of his children, or any of the inmates of his harem are indisposed, I dare not quit Cairo, but must stay during the greater part of the day in the palace. It also frequently happens that one or two of the royal officers fall sick, and I must attend to their healing. As a rule, I go to Cairo very early in the day, and even if nothing unusual happens, I do not return to Fostat until the afternoon. Then I am almost dying with hunger. I find the ante-chambers filled with people, both Jews and Gentiles, nobles and common people, judges and bailiffs, friends and foes—a mixed multitude, who await the time of my return.

I dismount from my animal, wash my hands, go forth to my patients, and entreat them to bear with me while I partake of some slight refreshments, the only meal I take in the twenty-four hours. Then I attend to my patients, write prescriptions and directions for their various ailments. Patients go in and out until nightfall, and sometimes even, I solemnly assure you, until two hours and more into the night. I converse with and prescribe for them while lying down from sheer fatigue, and when night falls I am so exhausted that I can scarcely speak.

In consequence of this, no Israelite can have any private interview with me except on the Sabbath. On that day the whole congregation, or at least the majority of the members, comes to me after the morning service, when I instruct them as to their proceedings during the whole week; we study together a little until noon, when they depart. Some of them return, and read with me after the afternoon service until evening prayers. In this manner I spend that day. I have here related to you only a part of what you would see if you were to visit me.

Now, when you have completed for our brethren the translation you have commenced, I beg that you will come to me, but not with the hope of deriving any advantage from your visit as regards your studies; for my time is, as I have shown you, excessively occupied. [ . . . ]

May your well-being, my son and student, increase and salvation come to our afflicted and impoverished nation.